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WORLD NEWS Friday 21 december 2018

Congo delays presidential vote until Dec. 30, citing fire

By SALEH MWANAMILON- 32. Fayulu was prevented from
GO Tensions have been rising in landing in Kindu where he
MATHILDE BOUSSION Congo, which has not had was scheduled hold a rally
Associated Press a peaceful, democratic on Dec. 9, according to his
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — change of leader since campaign manager, Pierre
Congo's electoral commis- it became independent Lumbi.
sion on Thursday delayed from Belgium in 1960. "I am concerned by the
the country's long-awaited On Wednesday the gover- growing tensions ... and the
presidential election until nor of Kinshasa, Andre Kim- risk of escalating violence
Dec. 30, citing a recent fire buta, banned all election that could lead to the com-
that destroyed 80 percent rallies in the capital, citing mission of grave crimes,"
of the voting machines in security concerns. That pre- the prosecutor for the In-
the capital. vented opposition leader ternational Criminal Court,
The vote had been sched- Martin Fayulu from holding Fatou Bensouda, said in
uled for Sunday. This is the a rally. Thousands of angry a statement on Thursday.
latest of several delays supporters gathered but She warned that anyone Corneille Nangaa, the president of the independent electoral
in the election originally police dispersed them with who "incites or participates commission (CENI), announces that the elections will be post-
scheduled for late 2016, tear gas. in mass violence" could be poned, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thurs-
amid opposition concerns "No postponement is jus- prosecuted.q day Dec. 20, 2018. Associated Press
that President Joseph tifiable," Fayulu's coalition
Kabila had been looking said in a statement late
for ways to stay in power. Thursday, saying it would
Kabila, in office since 2001, not accept the delay and
earlier this year announced accusing Kabila of trying to
he would step aside. stay in power and "contin-
After last week's fire de- ue to loot the country."
stroyed some 8,000 voting "For us, it's a decision that
machines in Kinshasa, of- bothers us ... but we bow
ficials found replacement to it," Kikaya Bin Karubi,
machines but had to get 5 Kabila's special adviser
million new ballots printed and a spokesman for ruling
and prepared, said Cor- party candidate Emmanu-
neille Nangaa, head of the el Ramazani Shadary, told
national electoral commis- The Associated Press.
sion. Several people have been
He called on the country killed in recent days at
of some 40 million voters for chaotic opposition ral-
calm. The delay of even a lies in various parts of the
week could spark another country, leading the U.N.
wave of unrest. Security Council to issue a
Some protesters quickly statement this week calling
gathered outside the elec- on Congo's government
toral commission's offices to "swiftly investigate." The
to demonstrate against the council also called for a "vi-
decision to postpone the olence-free environment."
vote. On Dec. 12, the U.N.'s spe-
"Nangaa speaks nonsense. cial representative in Con-
They didn't organize the go denounced "the obsta-
election in seven years and cles encountered by some
they want us to believe opposition candidates
they will be ready in seven during their efforts to hold
days? Kabila is sabotaging public meetings in certain
the election. Kabila must cities around the country."
go," said Fiston Adumba, Among several incidents,